Draft assembly



y 1962 E. H. BLATTNER 3,042,224

DRAFT ASSEMBLY Filed April 2, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 cu m Inventor:

Emil H. Blattner, decd- By Elizabeth Blattner, Executrix his Attorney July 3, 1962 E. H. BLATTNER DRAFT ASSEMBLY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 2, 1959 w Viv/474222;

FIG. 6

FIG. 5

his Attorney E. H. BLATTNER 3,042,224

DRAFT ASSEMBLY 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 July 3, 1962 Filed April 2, 1959 FIG. 7

FIG. 8

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Inventor:

' Emil H.B1 1ttner, decd.

By Elizabeth Blattner, Executz ix his Attorney FIG. 4

United States Patent 3,042,224 DRAFT ASSEMBLY Emil H. Blattner, deceased, late of Williamsville, N.Y.,

by Elizabeth Blattner, executrix, Rochester, N.Y., assignor to Syrnington Wayne Corporation, Salisbury,

Md, a corporation of Maryland Filed Apr. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 803,778 14 Claims. (Cl. 213--41) This invention relates to draft assemblies for railway vehicles.

For some time past the A.A.R. has had under consideration an increase in the length of the draft gear pocket in a railway vehicle underframe from the present standard 24% in. to 36 in. The objective is to enable the capacities of draft gears to be increased over those pres ently obtainable, better to absorb the longitudinal forces to which vehicles are subjected in service and particularly in humping in classification yards. While it is expected that the increase in the length of the pocket will enable the travel of a draft gear to be increased from the present standard 2 /2 in. to about 4 /2 in. with correspondingly greater capacity, the proposals in the main have been that the longer gears have the same travel and capacity in draft as in buif. This not only is unnecessary, since the maximum possible service forces in draft are much less than those in bulf, but actually is undesirable because of the excessive slack, both free and cushioned, it would require to be taken up in starting a long freight train, about 150 ft. of total slack for a 100 car train.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved draft arrangement utilizing the proposed long draft pocket and having high capacity and long travel in buff but a capacity and travel in draft on the order of the present standards.

Another object of the invention is to provide a selective travel draft assembly which, when applied to the proposed long pocket, not only has the desired high capacity and long travel in buff but can use as one of its cushioning units a present standard 24% in. draft gear.

A further object of the invention is to provide a draft assembly of relatively longer travel and higher capacity in buff than draft, wherein means rigid with its yoke serve to block certain of its plurality of cushioning units in draft while enabling its several cushioning units to coact in cushioning buffing forces.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a draft assembly of relatively longer travel and higher capacity in buff than draft, the yoke of which is divided by an intermediate wall rigid with it into a plurality of pockets, one for each of its plurality of cushioning units, the wall serving in draft to block out the rear cushioning unit and in buff to transmit force to that unit from a front cushioning unit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a draft assembly wherein a cushioning unit is pocketed within a yoke under precompression in the normal condition of the assembly and, on movement of the yoke in one direction, may either be held to that precompression or permitted to expand to maintain an associated follower and stop lugs in tight engagement.

A further object of the invention is to provide a draft assembly of such arrangement and construction as to enable a cushioning unit to be compressed after installation within a yoke and thereafter be maintained under at least that compression on longitudinal movement of the yoke in response to butling and draft forces.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a selective travel draft assembly, the yoke of which is pinconnected for relative universal angling to a coupler resiliently supported on a coupler carrier and also is connected to the coupler carrier, the connections being such as to eliminate any wear by engagement between the connecting pin and the center sill and prevent coupler droop due to increase in the downward force on the coupler carrier by causing the carrier to move longitudinally in unison with the yoke.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter in the detailed description, be particularly pointed out in the appended claims and be illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the draft assembly of the present invention with portions of the associated structure broken away and shown in section to more clearly illustrate certain of the details of construction;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the lines 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view on an enlarged scale of the front portion of the draft assembly, taken along lines 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the rear portion of the draft assembly on the same scale and taken along the same lines as FIGURE 3;

FEGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken valong the lines 55 of FIGURE 3 FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the lines 6-6 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the lines 7-7 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the lines 8-8 of FIGURE 7.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, in which like reference characters designate like parts, the improved draft assembly of the present invention is designed for selective travel to afford an associated coupler longer travel in buff than draft and, while not limited either to a particular size of draft gear pocket or to a particular form of coupler, has been applied for purposes of illustration to a draft gear pocket of greater length than the present standard of 24% inches, such as the proposed 36 inch pocket, and to a universally angleable coupler, such as the A.A.R. alternate standard Type F coupler.

Designated as 1 in the illustrated embodiment, the draft assembly is comprised of a vertical yoke 2 having a pair of longitudinally extending, vertically spaced, substantially parallel arms or straps 3 joined at the rear by an integral vertical rear wall 4 and preferably joined at the sides adjacent their front extremities by a pair of horizontally spaced vertical webs 5. The yoke 2 is installed, conventionally, in a center sill 6 of a freight car or other railway vehicle (not shown) and houses or contains a plurality of cushioning units which are arranged in tandem and contained in a draft gear pocket 7 between longitudinally spaced front and rear stop lugs 8 and 9, respectively, fixed to the sill. The plurality of cushioning units, here a front cushioning unit 10 and a rear cushioning unit 11, are contained between the arms 3 in individual front and rear yoke pockets 12 and 13, spaced or separated longitudinally by an intermediate Wall or septum l4 and preferably extending vertically between and integral, rigid with or fixed to the arms intermediate their longitudinal extremities.

Forwardly of the draft gear pocket 7, the arms 3 straddle and are connected to the butt portion 15 of a coupler 16, the connection, for the illustrated universally angleable Type F coupler, being by a connecting pivot or yoke pin 17 extending vertically through the butt portion of the coupler into aligned, rearwardly elongated pin apertures or slots 18 in the arms, the lower of which conventionally extends through the lower arm, but the upper of which preferably is capped or closed at its upper end by a web 19 integral with the upper arm so as to prevent engagement between the pin 17 and the top wall 20 of the center sill 6. The connecting pin 17 here extends downwardly, not only through the rearwardly elongated slot 18 in the lower arm 3 of the yoke 2, but also through a correspondingly elongated slot or aperture 21 in a leg 22 integral with and projecting rearwardly from a housing 23 of a resilient coupler carrier 24, the carrier iron 25 of which engages the shank 26 of the coupler 16, forwardly of the butt portion 15, and is resiliently supported on springs 27 fitting into an upwardly opening spring pocket 28 in the housing. With its housing 23 supported and sliding on a shelf 29 fixed to and disposed below the center sill 6', the coupler carrier 24 is made movable longitudinally in unison with the yoke 2 by a lug 31B integral with and downstanding from the lower yoke arm 3 forwardly of its slot 18 and received or fitting and interlocking with an aligned socket 31 in the leg 22, preferably with sufficient play for limited relative lateral and angling movement.

For both supporting the overlying portions of the leg 22, arms 3 and coupler 16, and holding the connecting pin 17 in place, the center sill 6 is fitted with a removable support plate 32, usual for Type F coupler installations and engageable either directly or through an interposed bearing pad 33 with the lower end of the pin, the yoke. Rearwardly of the pin 17, the yoke and the cushioning units 10 and 11 are supported in the center sill on one or more tie plates 34 connected, after installation of the draft assembly 1, to bottom flanges 35 outstanding from opposite sides of the center sill.

Enabled by the pin and slot connection formed by the pin 17 and the slots 18 to move rearwardly relative to the yoke 2 under bufiing forces, the coupler 16, rearwardly of the connecting pin, bears against a front follower or follower block 36 contained within the draft gear pocket 7 in the forepart of the front pocket 12 in the yoke 2, the follower, in its turn, both in the normal position of the yoke and on relative forward movement thereof under draft forces, bearing forwardly at the sides against the front stop lugs 8. The front cushioning unit 10 fits in the front pocket 12 between and bears oppositely against the front follower 36 and the intermediate wall 14 of the yoke 2 and may be a combined rubber and friction draft gear such as shown in my copending application Serial No. 724,949, filed March 31, 1958, or of any other suitable form. The length of the space available in the front pocket between the front follower and the intermediate Wall may be changed to suit a particular draft gear. However, it is desirable that either one or the other of the yoke pockets 12 and 13, and preferably the front pocket, be of the same 24 /8 inch length, from the intermediate wall 14 in the latters normal or neutral position to the adjacent or corresponding of the stop lugs 8 and 9, as the present standard draft gear pocket. This will enable that pocket to accommodate interchangeably any of the numerous certified cushioning units or draft gears of present standard length as a temporary or permanent replacement in case of breakdown.

To accommodate the rear cushioning unit 11 in the rear yoke pocket 13, the intermediate or intervening wall 14 of the yoke 2 is contained longitudinally in the draft gear pocket 7 between the front and rear stop lugs 8 and 9 with its position longitudinally of the yoke and its normal longitudinal spacing from the stop lugs determined primarily by the relative lengths of the yoke pockets 12 and 13. Thus, if, as in the preferred embodiment, the front yoke pocket 12 is of a length to accommodate a draft gear or a cushioning unit fittable into the present standard 24% inch pocket, and the draft gear pocket 7 is 36 inches long, the intermediate wall 14 will be biased toward the rear stop lugs 8, reducing correspondingly the space available within the rear yoke pocket 13 for accommodating the rear cushioning unit 11 and, at the latter's rear, a rear follower or follower block 37.

In any case, for maximum utilization of the length of the draft gear pocket 7, it is preferred that the yoke 2, in its normal position, extend rearwardly between the rear stop lugs 8 into the combined backstop and center filler 38 of which the rear stop lugs will usually be an integral part and that the rear wall 4 of the yoke normally be clear of or not project into the draft gear pocket. This necessitates that thearms 3 be restricted in width rearwardly of the intermediate wall 14 so that they will move freely between the rear stop lugs 9-, just as they must be restricted in width forwardly of that wall so as to move freely between the front stop lugs 8. However, since never reaching either of the stop lugs, the intermediate wall 14 can be and preferably is of substantially the width of the draft gear pocket 7 so as to aid in centering and guiding the yoke 2 in its longitudinal movements relative to the center sill 6 as well as to present bearing areas to the front and rear cushioning units 10 and 11 corresponding to those presented by the front and rear followers 36 and 37. It usually will be desirable, as well, to reinforce the intermediate wall 14 against bending over its outer extremities without interference with longitudinal movement of the wall in the draft gear pocket 7 by gusseting the arms 3 at the sides, as at 39, immediately in front of the wall.

In its normal position, the rear wall 4 of the yoke 2 clears the draft gear pocket 7 and preferably, as well, is spaced rearwardly of the front faces 40 of the rear stop lugs 3 defining the rear extremities of the pocket. This preferred normal rearward spacing of the rear wall 4 from the rear stop lugs 9 is designed to serve either or 'both of two purposes. One is that, if the normal length of the end space 41 between the rear wall 4 of the yoke 2 and the rear follower 37 and the initial or precompression of the rear cushioning unit 11 are suiiicient, the end space will accommodate expansion of the rear cushioning unit as the yoke moves forwardly so that the rear follower will always be held by the rear cushioning unit in tight engagement with the rear stop lugs 9. The other purpose is to enable the rear cushioning unit to be initially compressed after, rather than before installation in the yoke 2. The second purpose, the availability of the end space 41 for compressing the rear cushioning unit 11 after installation in the yoke 2, is of particular value if the rear cushioning unit is a rubber cushioning unit of suitable type, that illustrated as typical of such units being made up of alternating rubber spring units 42 and spacer plates 43 with the former formed of rubber pads 44 sandwiched and connected through intervening spring plates 45, in enabling the lateral dimensions of the unit to be substantially those of the draft gear pocket with corresponding increase in cushioning capacity over that obtainable were the unit precompressed and installed as a unit in the rear pocket.

in the illustrated embodiment, the end space 41 initially is used to enable the rubber spring units 42 and spacer plates 43 to be installed individually in the yoke 2 and after the assembled rear cushioning unit 11 has been compressed by a ram or other suitable means, is filled by a filler block 46 so as to maintain the cushioning unit at least under that compression over the range of longitudinal movement of the yoke, rather than permit the cushioning unit to expand as the yoke moves forwardly. Since the end space 41 will expand longitudinally on rearward movement of the yoke 2, the filler block 46, if used, must be held in position by means other than the pressure normally exerted on it by the rear cushioning unit 11 through the rear follower block 37. This is accomplished in the illustrated embodiment by use of means which together hold or restrict the filler block 46, once installed, against movement in any direction relative to the rear wall 4. The illustrated retaining means includes, for centering the filler block 46 vertically on the rear wall 4, a horizontal channel 47 centrally interrupting and extending the width of the rear face 48 of the block and slidably receiving a central boss 49 projecting forwardly from the rear wall and, for restricting or limiting forward movement of the filler block relative to the rear wall, a pair of restricting or limiting lugs 56 outstanding vertically from the top and bottom of the filler block rearwardly of and adapted to engage a like pair of lugs 51 instanding vertically from the yoke arms 3 adjacent the rear wall. The third component of the restraining means is a spring-pressed plug 52 or like locking element retractable into a rearwardly opening pocket 53 in and centered on the filler block 46 and engage able on expansion in a confronting central socket 54 in the boss 49. Effective with the channel 47, boss 49 and lugs 50 and 51 to lock the filler block 46 in the end space 41, the plug 52 is made readily disengageable from its socket 54 for removal of the filler block by centrally aperturing the rear wall 4 rearwardly of the socket to receive a rod or like means (not shown) for displacing the plug. To facilitate compression of the plug spring 55 during application of the filler block 46, the rear wall 56 of the channel 47 preferably is tapered or sloped inwardly and forwardly toward the boss 49 from one or either side.

With the draft assembly 1 constructed in the above manner, buffing forces will be transmitted from the coupler 16 on rearward movement of the latter relative to the yoke 2 through the front follower block 36 to the front cushioning unit and therefrom through the intermediate wall 14 to the rear cushioning unit 11 from which any residual force is transmitted through the rear follower block 37 and the rear stop lugs 9 to the center sill 6. Both cushioning units thus act in buff in series and, if the force is sufiicient, to their full capacities, affording a maximum travel in buff with the illustrated arrangement of some 4 /2 inches. Importantly, during such travel, the interlock between the yoke 2 and the coupler carrier 24, in moving the latter rearwardly in unison with the yoke, causes the downward force of the coupler 16 on the carrier to decrease as the coupler moves rearwardly, thus effectively ensuring against coupler droop. In draft, the yoke moves forwardly with the coupler but with the rear cushioning unit 11 blocked out of action by the intermediate wall 14, so that only the front cushioning unit 10 is effective, the applied force being transmitted to that unit through the intermediate wall and from the unit to the center sill 6 through the front follower 36 and the front stop lugs 8. Since only the front cushioning unit is effective, the maximum travel in draft is limited to the travel available in that unit, some 2 /2 inches in the illustrated arrangement, as opposed to the 4 /2 inch travel in buff. Again, as during rearward movement, the coupler carrier 24 moves with the yoke 2. However, since the coupler 16 and yoke 2 move forwardly in unison, the spacing between the connecting pin 17 and the carrier iron 25 and, consequently, the downward force of the coupler on the carrier, while not increasing, will not decrease but remain the same as the normal spacing and force with consequent prevention of coupler droop.

It should be understood that the described and disclosed embodiment is merely exemplary of the invention and that all modifications are intended to be included which do not depart from either the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a center sill having a draft gear pocket between front and rear stop lugs and a coupler, of a draft assembly comprising a yoke in said pocket and connected forwardly thereof for forward movement with and rearward movement relative to said coupler, a coupler carrier supporting said shank and slidably supported on means fixed to said center sill, means connecting said yoke and carrier for longitudinal movement in unison, a wall fixed to said yoke intermediate longitudinal extremities thereof and dividing said yoke into a plurality of longitudinally spaced pockets, and a cushioning unit in each of said yoke pockets, said cushioning units through said intermediate wall acting jointly in buff and certain of said cushioning units in draft being blocked out of action by said intermediate wall.

2. The combination with a center sill having a draft gear pocket between front and rear stop lugs and a coupler, of a draft assembly comprising a vertical yoke in said pocket and having a pair of vertically spaced arms, vertically aligned rearwardly elongated slots in said arms forwardly of said pocket for receiving a pin for connecting said yoke for forward movement with and universal angling and rearward movement relative to said coupler, means integral with an upper yoke arm for capping said slot therein, a resilient coupler carrier supported for relative longitudinal movement by said sill and having a resiliently supported carrier iron engaging and resiliently supporting a shank of said coupler forwardly of said pin, a rearwardly extending leg on said coupler carrier and having a rearwardly elongated slot for receiving a lower end portion of said pin, interlocking means integral with a lower yoke arm and said leg for connecting said yoke and carrier for longitudinal movement in unison, and cushioning means in said yoke and reacting against certain of said stop lugs for cushioning a longitudinal force applied thereto by said coupler.

3. The combination with a center sill having a draft gear pocket between front and rear stop lugs and a conpler, of a selective travel draft assembly comprising a yoke in said pocket and connected forwardly thereof for forward movement with and rearward movement relative to said coupler, a rear wall on said yoke and normally disposed between said rear stop lugs and clear of said pocket, an intermediate wall fixed to said yoke intermediate longitudinal extremities thereof and dividing said yoke into longitudinally spaced front and rear pockets, front and rear cushioning units respectively in said front and rear yoke pockets, and follower means in each of said yoke pockets between the cushioning unit therein and the corresponding of said stop lugs, said rear cushioning unit in buff receiving buffing forces from said coupler through said front cushioning unit and intermediate wall and in draft being blocked out of action by said intermediate wall.

4. The combination with a center sill having a draft gear pocket between front and rear stop lugs and a coupler, of a selective travel draft assembly comprising a yoke in said pocket and connected forwardly thereof for forward movement with and rearward movement relative to said coupler, said yoke normally projecting between said rear stop lugs and having a rear wall spaced rearwardly from said pocket, an intermediate wall fixed to said yoke intermediate longitudinal extremities thereof and dividing said yoke into longitudinally spaced front and rear pockets, front and rear cushioning units respectively in said front and rear yoke pockets, and follower means in each of said yoke pockets between the cushioning unit therein and the corresponding of said stop lugs, said rear cushioning unit in buff receiving buffing forces from said coupler through saidfront cushioning unit and intermediate wall and in draft being blocked out of action by said intermediate wall.

5. The combination with a center sill having a draft gear pocket between front and rear stop lugs and a coupler, of a selective travel draft assembly comprising a yoke in said pocket and connected forwardly thereof for forward movement with and rearward movement relative to said coupler, said yoke normally projecting between said rear stop lugs and having a rear wall spaced rearwardly from said pocket, an intermediate wall fixed to said yoke intermediate longitudinal extremities thereof and dividing said yoke into longitudinally spaced front and rear pockets, front and rear cushioning units respectively in said front and rear yoke pockets, a front follower in said front pocket between and normally engaging said front cushioning unit and front stop lugs, and a rear follower in said rear pocket between and normally engaging said rear cushioning unit and rear stop lugs, said rear follower normally being spaced forwardly of and defining with said rear wall longitudinal extremities of an end space in said yoke, said rear cushioning unit in buff receiving buffing forces from said coupler through said front cushioning unit and intermediate wall and in draft expanding by urging said rear follower into said end space.

6. The combination with a center sill having a draft gear pocket between front and rear stop lugs and a coupler, of a selective travel draft assembly comprising a yoke in said pocket and connected forwardly thereof for forward movement with and rearward movement relative to said coupler, said yoke normally projecting between said rear stop lugs and having a rear wall spaced rearwardly from said pocket, an intermediate wall fixed to said yoke intermediate longitudinal extremities thereof and dividing said yoke into longitudinally spaced front and rear pockets, a front cushioning unit under compression in said front pocket, a rear cushioning unit under compression in said rear pocket, a front follower in said front pocket between and normally engaging said front cushioning unit and front sto lugs, ,a rear follower in said rear pocket between and normally engaging said rear cushioning unit and rear stop lugs, said rear follower normally being spaced forwardly of and defining with said rear wall longitudinal extremities of an end space in said yoke, and a filler block in said end space and releasably locked to said yoke for holding said rear cushioning uni-t under compression over the range of longitudinal movement of said yoke, said rear cushioning unit in buff receiving bufiing forces from said coupler through said front cushioning unit and intermediate wall and in draft being blocked out of action by said intermediate wall.

7. The combination with a center sill having a draft gear pocket between front and rear stop lugs and a coupler, of a selective travel draft assembly comprising a yoke in said pocket and connected forwardly thereof for forward movement with and rearward movement relative to said coupler, said yoke normally projecting between said rear stop lugs and having a rear wall spaced rearwardly from said pocket, an intermediate wall fixed to said yoke intermediate longitudinal extremities thereof and dividing said yoke into longitudinally spaced front and rear pockets, a front cushioning unit under compression in said front pocket, a rear cushioning uni-t compressed a-f-ter installation in said rear pocket, a front follower in said front pocket between and normally engaging said front cushioning unit and front stop lugs, a rear follower in said rear pocket between and normally engaging said rear cushioning unit and rear stop lugs, said rear follower normally being spaced forwardly of and defining with said rear Wall longitudinal extremities of an end space in said yoke, and a filler block in said end space and releasably locked to said yoke for holding said rear cushioning unit under compression over the range of longitudinal movement of said yoke, said rear cushioning unit in buff receiving bulfing forces from said coupler through said front cushioning unit and intermediate wall and in draft being blocked out of action by said intermediate wall.

8. The combination with a center sill having a draft gear pocket between front and rear stop lugs and a coupler, of a selective travel draft assembly comprising a yoke in said pocket and connected forwardly thereof for forward movement with and rearward movement relative to said coupler, said yoke normally projecting between said rear stop lugs and having a rear wall spaced rearwardly from said pocket, an intermediate wall fixed to said yoke intermediate longitudinal extremities thereof and dividing said yoke into longitudinally spaced front 0 and rear pockets, a front cushioning unit under compression in said front pocket, a rubber cushioning unit compressed after installation in said rear pocket, a front follower in said front pocket between and normally engaging said front cushioning unit and front stop lugs, a rear follower in said rear pocket between and normally engaging said rubber cushioning unit and rear stop lugs, said rear follower normally being spaced forwardly of and defining with said rear wall longitudinal extremities of an end space in said yoke, and a filler block insaid end space and releasably locked to said yoke for holding said rubber cushioning unit under compression over the range of longitudinal movement of said yoke, said rubber cushioning unit in buff receiving buffing forces from said coupler through said front cushioning unit and intermediate wall and in draft being blocked out of action by said intermediate wall.

9. The combination with a center sill having a draft gear pocket between front and rear stop lugs and a coupler, of a selective draft assembly comprising a yoke in said pocket and having vertically spaced longitudinally extending arms, said arms being connected forwardly of said pocket for forward movement with and rearward movement relative to said coupler, a rear wall extending vertically between and connecting said arms and normally disposed clear of a rear end of said pocket, an intermediate wall extending vertically between and connecting said arms intermediate longitudinal extremities thereof and dividing said yoke into longitudinally spaced front and rear pockets, at least one of said yoke pockets having a length between said intermediate wall and the corresponding stop lugs of 24% inches for accommodating a cushioning unit fittable into a standard draft gear pocket of said length, front and rear cushioning units in the respective of said yoke pockets, and a follower in each of said yoke pockets between and normally engaging the cushioning unit therein and the corresponding stop lugs, said rear cushioning unit in buff receiving bufiing forces from said coupler through said front cushioning unit and intermediate wall and in draft being blocked out of action by said intermediate wall.

10. The combination with a center sill having a draft gear pocket between front and rear stop lugs and a coupler, of a selective draft assembly comprising a yoke in said pocket and having vertically spaced longitudinally extending arms, said arms being connected forwardly of said pocket for forward movement with and rearward movement relative to said coupler, a rear wall extending vertically between and connecting said arms and normally disposed clear of a rear end of said pocket, an intermediate wall extending vertically between and connecting said arms intermediate longitudinal extremities thereof and dividing said yoke into longitudinally spaced front and rear pockets, said front yoke pocket having a normal length between said intermediate wall and said front stop lugs of 24 /3 inches for accommodating a cushioning unit fittable into a standard draft gear pocket of said length, a front cushioning unit in said front pocket, a rubber cushioning unit in said rear pocket, and a follower in each of said yoke pockets between and normally engaging the cushioning unit therein and the corresponding stop lugs, said rubber cushioning unit in buff receiving buffing forces from said coupler through said front cushioning unit and intermediate wall and in draft being blocked out of action by said intermediate wall.

11. A selective travel draft assembly comprising a yoke having a rear wall and connected for forward movement with and rearward movement relative to a coupler, a plurality of cushioning units in said yoke, and a wall fixed to said yoke and longitudinally spacing said cushioning units for transmitting forces between said units in buff and blocking certain of said units out of action in draft.

12. A selective travel draft assembly comprising a yoke having a rear wall and connected for forward movement with and rearward movement relative to a conpler, a coupler carrier supporting a shank of said coupler and connected for longitudinal movement in unison to said yoke, a plurality of cushioning units in tandem in said yoke, and a wall fixed to said yoke intermediate and longitudinally spacing said cushioning units for transmitting forces between said units in but]? and blocking certain of said units out of action in draft.

13. The combination with a center sill having a draft gear pocket *between front and rear stop lugs and a coupler, of a yoke in said pocket and having vertically spaced longitudinally extending arms, said yoke having a rear wall extending vertically 'between and connecting said arms and normally disposed rearwardly of a rear end of said pocket, a cushioning unit in said yoke, a rear follower in said yoke forwardly of said rear Wall and normally engaging a rear end of said cushioning unit and said rear stop lugs, and a filler block in the end space in said yoke between said rear Wall and rear follower for holding said cushioning unit under compression over the range of longitudinal movement of said yoke.

14. The combination with a center sill having a draft gear pocket between front and rear stop lugs and a conpler, of a yoke in said pocket and having vertically spaced longitudinally extending arms, said yoke having a rear wall extending vertically between and connecting said arms and normally disposed rearwardly of a rear end of said pocket, a cushioning unit in said yoke, a rear follower in said yoke forwardly of said rear wall and normally engaging a rear end of said cushioning unit and said rear stop lugs, and a filler block releasably locked to said yoke and in the end space therein between said rear wall and rear follower for holding said cushioning unit under compression over the range of longitudinal movement of said yoke.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,153,793 Johnson Sept. 14, 1915 1,213,395 Milliken Jan. 23, 1917 1,303,909 Johnson May 20, 1919 1,575,707 OConnor Mar. 9, 1926 2,137,152 Blattner Nov. 15, 1938 2,766,894 Campbell Oct. 16, 1956 

